Synonyms and antonyms of Using a telephone in British Thesaurus

answer (verb)

to come to the door when someone calls at your house, or pick up the phone when it rings

busy (adjective)

if someone’s telephone is busy, it is being used when you try to call

call (verb)

to telephone someone

call (verb)

to telephone a person or organization that provides a service and ask them to come

call back ()

to telephone someone again, or to telephone someone who telephoned you earlier

caller (noun)

someone who makes a telephone call

call in sick ()

to telephone the place where you work and say where you are or what you are doing

call in sick ()

to telephone the place where you work and say you will not come to work because you are ill

call in sick ()

to phone someone at the place where you work to tell them you are too ill to work

call someone collect ()

to make a phone call that is paid for by the person who receives the call. The British expression is reverse the charges.

call up ()

to telephone someone

check into ()

to use a smartphone to show on social media that you have arrived at a place

cut off ()

if someone or something cuts you off when you are talking on the telephone, they make the telephone line stop working

dial (verb)

to press the buttons, or to turn the dial, on a telephone in order to call someone

disconnect (verb)

to stop the telephone connection between two people or computers

engaged (adjective)

British if a telephone line is engaged, it is already being used when you call

get (verb)

spoken to answer the door or telephone

get (verb)

to reach someone by telephone

get through ()

to be connected to a place by telephone

give someone a bell ()

to phone someone

give someone a buzz ()

to phone someone

give someone a ring ()

to phone someone

hang up ()

to stop using a telephone at the end of a conversation

hold (verb)

to wait in order to speak to someone on the telephone. You can also say that you hold the line

jam (verb)

if a telephone system jams or is jammed, it stops working because too many people are making calls at the same time

jammed (adjective)

a jammed telephone system does not work because too many people are making calls at the same time

make a (phone) call ()

to telephone someone

misdial (verb)

to dial a wrong number when making a telephone call

off the hook ()

if a telephone is off the hook, the receiver (=the part you speak into) has not been put into its place, and so you cannot receive any calls

on hold ()

waiting to speak to someone on the telephone, after your call has been answered

on the blower ()

talking on the telephone

on the line ()

on the telephone

on the telephone ()

using the telephone to talk to someone

phone (verb)

to use a telephone to call someone

phone back ()

to phone someone again, or to phone someone who phoned you earlier when you were away or were too busy to speak to them

phone in ()

to telephone the place where you work in order to give a message

phone in ()

to telephone a radio or television programme with a question or comment

phone round ()

to phone several people or companies in order to arrange something or to get information

phone through ()

to give someone a particular piece of information using the phone

ping (verb)

informal to contact someone by phone or email

pocket-dial (verb)

to call someone accidentally by pressing their number when your phone is in your pocket or bag

put on ()

to pass the telephone to someone so they can speak to the person you have been talking to

put the phone down ()

to put the telephone receiver back onto its base after you have finished talking to someone

put the phone down ()

to end a telephone conversation with someone before they have finished speaking

put through ()

if you put a person or call through, you connect someone to the person they want to speak to on the telephone

queue (noun)

a number of people who have telephoned a place at the same time and are waiting to speak to an operator

redial (verb)

to press one or more buttons on a phone for a second time when you are trying to phone someone

reverse the charges ()

to make the person who you are calling on the telephone agree to pay for the call

ring (verb)

British to call someone by telephone

ring (verb)

if a telephone rings, it makes a sound to show that someone is calling

ring (noun)

a sound produced by a phone when someone calls you

ring back ()

to phone someone again

ring back ()

to phone someone who phoned you earlier

ring in (British)

British to phone a place, especially the place where you work or a television or radio station

ring off ()

to finish a phone call

ring round ()

to phone several people or companies etc in order to arrange something or to get information

ring through ()

to phone from one part of a building to another

ring up (British)

British to phone someone

speak (verb)

to speak to someone on the telephone

speak (verb)

used for telling someone who has called you on the telephone and has asked to talk to you that they are speaking to the right person

telephone (verb)

formal to speak to someone using the telephone

telephonist (noun)

British someone who works for a business or organization answering the telephone and directing calls to the right people

telephony (noun)

the system, technology, or business of telephone communication

that (adverb)

Britishspoken used for asking who someone is when you are telephoning them

there (adverb)

spoken used when asking to speak to someone on the telephone

this (adverb)

used when you are saying who you are in a telephone conversation or on the radio or television

through (adjective)

used for saying that you are connected to someone by phone

trace something to something ()

to use electronic equipment to find out where a telephone call was made

transfer (verb)

to let someone speak to another person by changing telephone lines for them

wiretap (verb)

mainly American to connect a special piece of equipment to a telephone wire that lets you listen to conversations secretly. The usual British word is tap.